With demand for tickets going far above the actual supply banners of revolt have unfurled in Trinamool Congress throughout Bengal. local party satraps from Coochbehar in North Bengal to South 24 Parganas down the South have threatened to proceed alone if Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not revise her candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Angry party men were taking out rallies, blocking roads and even raiding district and State party headquarters in Kolkata to press-gang Banerjee to change her decision.
Workers of Sitalkuchi constituency in Coochbehar on Sunday took out a massive rally to protest the re-nomination of Trinamool candidate Hiten Burman who had won 2011 polls by a margin of 256 votes only. “Though he has done nothing for the region party has re-nonimated him. If his candidature is not withdrawn then we will have to think otherwise,” a section of district workers said. “All the members of five local panchayats and district board members will resign if the candidate is not changed” one of the rebel leaders said.
Further south at Mayureshwar in Birbhum district supporters of the sitting Trinamool MlA raided the block party office and even jammed the National High way for hours to demand his re-nomination. The MlA has been dropped this time round.
In Bhatar constituency of neighbouring Burdwan district thousands of party men revolted as sitting MlA Banamali Hazra had failed to land a ticket this time round. Buses loads of workers raided the Trinamnool Bhavan in Kolkata demanding a rethink on the candidate list. “We control 11 out of 13 panchayat samities all of which are loyal to Hazra. If he does not get a ticket then we will not work for in the elections,” threatened party men who came to Kolkata but failed to meet any senior leader.
In neighbouring North 24 Parganas party men protested the nomination of a outsider and demanded “only a bhoomi putra will be considered by us,” while in Kharagpur in West Midnapore disgruntled party men protested against the nomination of a candidate “who is only a money spinner and not a party man.” Similar rebellions were witnessed in Panskura in East Midnapore. In Singur which played the catalyst for 2011 Parivartan thousands of local party men staged a rally against re-nomination of sitting MlA and face of Trinamool’s anti-Nano movement Rabindranath Bhattacharya. “He never visits the region and so we want him changed” shouted posters. With the Mamata Banerjee having failed to fulfil her commitment of returning the acquired land to the farmers Singur had of late showing signs of dissension.
Rebellions were more pronounced in Howrah and South 24 Parganas. Supporters of South Howrah Trinamool labour leader Masood Khan blocked roads, and even stopped work at petrol depot threatening fuel supply in parts of Kolkata.